MANGALORE, May 16 (The Hindu): Former Union Minister and veteran Congress leader B. Janardhana Poojary has termed “constitutionally valid” the issuance of summons by Governor H.R. Bhardwaj to three Ministers.

The summons was issued in response to a complaint filed by Congress MLC K.C. Kondaiah on January 13 charging the three Ministers — G. Karunakara Reddy, G. Janardhan Reddy and B. Sriramulu — with amassing wealth from mining by misusing their position as Ministers and seeking disqualification of their legislature membership.

Quoting from the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and the Constitution, Mr. Poojary told presspersons on Saturday that the Governor had the power to disqualify Ministers found guilty of misusing government machinery.

Pointing out that Mr. Bhardwaj was a legal expert and a former Union Law Minister, Mr. Poojary lashed out at Mr. Janardhan Reddy for questioning the legality of the Governor's summons.

Mr. Reddy had told presspersons in Bangalore on Friday that Mr. Bhardwaj “does not have the authority to summon a Minister”.

He had alleged that the Governor had “gone beyond the bounds of the law” by his action.

Mr. Poojary alleged that the Reddy brothers were defrauding the State Government of a huge amount of money through their illegal mining activities.